Australian Football

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KEY FACTS

Official name
Leongatha Football Club

Known as
Leongatha

Formed
1894

Colours
Green and gold

Emblem
Parrots

Affiliation (Current)
Gippsland League (GL) 1969–2024

Affiliations (Historical)
South Gippsland Shire Football Association (SGSFA) 1923; South Gippsland Football Association (SGFA) 1927–1932; Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL) 1934–1953; South Gippsland Football League (SGFL) 1954–1968

Senior Premierships
Korumburra and District Football Association (KDFA) - 1894, 1923-4 (3 total); Woorayl Football Association (WFA) - 1905 (1 total); South Gippsland Football Association/League (SGFA/L) - 1931-2, 1955, 1960-1, 1963-4 (7 total); Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL) - 1934-5, 1940, 1951 (4 total); Latrobe Valley Football League (LVFL) - 1970, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1989 (5 total); Gippsland-Latrobe Valley Football League (GLVFL) - 1995, 1997, 2001 (3 total); Gippsland Football League - 2017-18 (2 total)

Website
www.leongathafc.vcfl.com.au

Leongatha

In 1894, Leongatha Football Club was formed, and enjoyed immediate success in a local, four team competition, the antecedent of the Korumburra and District Football Association. Over the ensuing decade, Leongatha’s involvement in organised competition was only sporadic, and performances tended to be poor. In 1904, however, a new competition, the Woorayl Football Association, was established, and Leongatha was one of three founder member clubs. It ended up level on wins with Mount Eccles, necessitating a play-off match to determine the premiers. Mount Eccles won this match by 17 points.

In 1905, there was no need of a play-off as Leongatha finished comfortably clear of the field, its players being rewarded with a smoke night organised by the WFA.

Leongatha’s next premiership did not arrive until 1923, by which time the club, boasting red and blue as its colours, was a member of a newly reconstituted KDFA. Finals series were by this time a feature of football, and Leongatha clinched the premiership by means of a convincing 10.12 (72) to 2.5 (17) defeat of Korumburra in the final. Earlier, Toora had been walloped in a semi final by 37 points, 6.20 (56) to 3.1 (19). Having finished the minor round in first place, Leongatha would have had the right of challenge if beaten in either of these two matches.

If 1923 had been convincing, 1924 was equally so, as well as being arguably the most memorable season in Leongatha’s history. After beating Korumburra by 17 points to clinch the flag, the side went on to claim an even more illustrious scalp in the shape of VFA club Footscray, which just a week before journeying to Leongatha had defeated Essendon at the MCG in a match to determine the champions of Victoria. The key to Footscray’s triumph over the Dons had been their deft, inventive use of handball, but they were unable to repeat this against Leongatha because of the atrocious weather conditions in which the match was played. Moreover, for several days prior to the match there had been almost continuous rain, making the ground already heavy and sodden when play started. 

The visitors produced far and away their best football during the opening term, when the ball was still comparatively light and dry. At quarter time they held an 8 point advantage, but as conditions worsened so the contest began to hinge more on determination and brute force than pure football ability. By the final change, Leongatha had battled and splashed their way to a lead of 5 points, 5.6 (36) to 4.7 (31). During the last quarter, Footscray attacked relentlessly, with considerable vigour but precious little system, while the men in red and blue defended grimly. When the bell sounded to end the match the margin in Leongatha’s favour was the same as it had been at ‘lemons’, both teams having advanced their tallies by 7 points. Tellingly, however, whereas the home team had achieved this in just two scoring shots, Footscray had taken the long, laborious route, registering seven behinds. Leongatha thus secured a famous victory, and one which Footscray skipper Con McCarthy conceded was well deserved, even though “it was more like water polo than a football match”.

Judged purely on the basis of premiership wins, the 1930s proved twice as successful as the 1920s. During the early part of the decade the ‘Gatha competed in the South Gippsland Football Association, emerging victorious from the grand finals of 1931 against Korumburra and 1932 against Mirboo North. In 1932 the side was undefeated. The club’s strength in depth is readily evidenced by the feat of the seconds in emulating the seniors by claiming flags in both 1931 and 1932.

In 1933, however, the SGFA folded, and Leongatha found itself without a league in which to compete. It was 1934 before the club managed to find a home for itself in the strong Central Gippsland Football League. Expected to find the standard prohibitively testing, the ‘Gatha rose to the occasion superbly, annexing back to back senior premierships in their first two seasons. The remainder of the 1930s did not bring any further flags, but Leongatha continued to be extremely competitive. 

In 1940, with the demands of war becoming ever greater, the CGFL decided to curtail its season, but not before a hastily arranged finals series could take place. Leongatha emerged triumphant from this finals series, overcoming Morwell in the decisive match by 24 points.

The 1950s spawned another couple of premierships thanks to grand final victories over Yallourn in 1951 and arch rivals Korumburra four years later. The club’s 1955 flag was won in the South Gippsland Football League, in which it had resumed competing that season, and where it would remain until 1968. That fifteen season stint would produce five senior grade premierships for a team now resplendent in green and gold, and boasting the distinctive nickname of the Parrots. In addition to the 1955 triumph there would be victories over Stony Creek in the grand final of 1960, Wonthaggi the following year, Korumburra in 1963, and Mirboo North in 1964. The side also finished as runner-up on four occasions.

The 1969 season saw Leongatha on the move again, this time to the Latrobe Valley Football League. When the club had joined the CGFL in 1934 and the SGFL in 1955 it had claimed a premiership at the first time of asking. It failed to do that this time, but only by a year. In its debut season it showed many promising signs, but lacked consistency, and finished out of the finals. The following year, under the coaching of former North Melbourne player Terry Benton, the Parrots laid down the gauntlet right from the off with a 14 goal opening round annihilation of Warragul. They ended up qualifying for the finals in second place before moving straight into the grand final with a 10.11 (71) to 8.3 (51) second semi final victory over Moe. Again opposed by the Lions on grand final day, the Parrots looked down and out at three quarter time when they trailed by 20 points, but produced a stirring last quarter fight back to snatch victory by 3 points. The win was a prelude to a fine decade, which brought two further premierships after grand final conquests of Traralgon in both 1977 and 1979.

In 2002, Leongatha began competing in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League, which was subsequently renamed the Gippsland Football League. The seniors made their first grand final in 2004, when they to Maffra. Following that, the Parrots endured a mediocre spell during which they finished eighth (of nine) in both 2005 and 2006 before slumping to last place in 2007. In 2008 they recovered slightly, managing 5 wins from 16 matches to finish seventh. Thereafter, there was some improvement. In 2009 the Parrots qualified for the finals, and ultimately finished fourth, following which they also contested the major round in 2010 (fifth), 2011 (fifth) and 2012 (third). After missing the finals in 2013 and 2014 Leongatha made made it as far as the 2015 grand final, only to lose by 5 goals to Traralgon. The 2016 season brought another grand final appearance but once again the Parrots ended up losing, this time by 21 points to Maffra. Finally, in 2017 Leongatha broke through for a first ever GFL flag. Top of the ladder after the home and away rounds the Parrots progressed straight to the grand final on the strength of an 11.5 (71) to 6.7 (43) second semi final defeat of Traralgon. The grand final opposition came from Maffra, and, after the Parrots had dominated the opening term, the match turned into a bona fide thriller. By three quarter time Maffra had fought their way back into the match and were clinging on to a 2 point advantage. The final term saw the teams going goal for goal with Leongatha ultimately edging home by the narrowest conceivable margin, 15.10 (100) to 15.9 (99). The triumph gave the Parrots their twenty-fourth senior grade premiership.

The following season saw Leongatha qualify for the finals in second place, behind minor premiers Maffra on percentage. They then cruised to their second straight flag by means of wins over Sale in the qualifying final by 71 points, Maffra in the second semi final by 64 points, and Maffra once more on grand final day with scores of 10.13 (73) to 10.4 (64). The triumph was hard earned as scores were close all day, with the teams deadlocked at three quarter time and the Parrots clinging to a single point advantage on the cusp of time-on before adding the final four scores of the match to win with deceptive comfort.

Source

John Devaney - Full Points Publications

 

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.